This is the Truth Network. If Jesus were to visit the churches of America or any of the nation today, would he be complimentary or critical?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to "Until He Comes," a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of "The Second Coming of Christ," his appearing, his return, our preparation, and now author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the program, friends. In our previous episode, we began this new study on Jesus in judgment mode.
We pointed out that Jesus has been appointed by the Father to be the judge of all, and He will be the judge of the church, generally, and you and I individually. We also discuss that he stands now in the churches, examining us today and looking us over to see what is according to his will and what is not, what is biblical and what is not.
Now we began also in our last part of this first episode to discuss his notable refrains, three things that Jesus said to the various churches, to each one. I know your works. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and to him that overcomes, I will. And then He promised a rich reward of some kind.
Now we discussed the first point that Jesus knows our works, and how important it is that we understand that our works are simply the expression of what's in our heart. What's in our heart is not divorced from our works. What's in our heart is being seen. In our work, consistently, every day, and we quoted Proverbs four twenty three, which says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of your life." Or, one verse says, "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts." Run your life. That's the New Century version.
Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. That is, as life comes at us, we react according to the abundance of what is in our hearts. That's why it's so important to be filled with the Word of God every day, and with more of the Holy Spirit as you worship God and offer thanksgiving and pray to Him and spend time. In His presence.
Now, today, let's look at the second and third of these refrains. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Jesus said to each church. He didn't say, "Hear what this or that pastor says," or "Hear what this church or that church is doing," or "Hear what is the latest word from the Bishop of Rome." No, he said, "Hear what the Spirit says." That is, get in tune with the Holy Spirit. Are we today tuned in with the Holy Spirit's voice?
That is, what He shows us is important, or are other. Trending message is more important to us. If you're going to know God, if you're going to please Him, if you're going to complete His will in your life, if you're going to finish the race set before you, you've got to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. The last time I checked, when Jesus left, He appointed the Holy Spirit to be in charge of the church in His stead. Christ is the head, and He administers His will through.
The Holy Spirit, but if we're not listening, if we don't care what the Spirit says, but only what other churches and pastors are saying and doing, we will go astray, be blind, deaf, and dumb to the real work of God, and then eventually work at cross purposes with what God is doing. Yes. If you're not working with the Lord, you're working against Him. You know, in Matthew chapter nine, Jesus said that the harvest field was great, but the labors were few. He said, "Pray you, therefore, that the Lord of the harvest, listen to that phrase, the Lord of the harvest would send forth labors into His harvest." Whose harvest is it?
Well, it's Christ's.
Now, if we were to work on a large farm. And you wanted to help out? What would you do? Rush out into the field and grab some farming equipment and just do what you thought was right? I hope not, because if you did, you would be summarily dismissed from your duty.
If you were a good servant or employee, you would go to the Lord of the Harvest and say, "Look, here I am." Here I am, like Isaiah said. Here I am. Send me, or like Saul of Tarsus said in the first moment of his Christian life. I've often commented that he was more spiritual in that first moment he received Christ than many Christians are in their entire lifetime. He said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
What do you want me to do in your harvest field?" And then you would go do it. When young Samuel was instructed by Eli, he learned to say, "Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth." So we should do the same today. Don't be afraid to say that.
Some people say, "Well, I'm just afraid to listen to the Spirit because I might, I might go astray." Well, let me tell you something about the Holy Spirit. He always speaks in direct connection with the Word of God, or. What he says to you will be thoroughly biblical, and not antithetical to the Bible. It won't contradict any biblical message. It will agree with it, because the Holy Spirit inspired the Scripture.
Paul wrote in Second Timothy that the that all scriptures inspired or God breathed. And so we need to remember that there's no differentiation, there's no contradiction between what the Spirit is saying to the church and what the Bible is saying to the church. The two speak with one voice. The difference comes with those who are not tethered to the Word of God. And friends, there are a good number of churches and Christians who are not tethered or tied or bound to the Word of God.
They think they can live their spiritual lives. Without filling their hearts with the Word of God, that's not the biblical message. It's very clear what God has said in that regard. He said to Joshua, for instance, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, so that you may do according to all." That is written therein. Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous.
Then thou shalt have good success. Joshua chapter one verse nine. Is that our idea of how to be successful and hear the spirit of God, or do we just disconnect ourselves from devotional Bible reading and Bible study and just try to hear a voice speak to us? That's dangerous, my friend. John warns us there are many false.
Prophets and prophets and prophetic voices in the world—many thousands of them.
So, to be safe, we have to be grounded in the Word of God. But we must also ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance, or we're working on our own in the Lord's harvest field, and we can cause more havoc than harvest. You wouldn't want that to be on your report, and I wouldn't want it on mine.
So now's the time to do something about it. Have you learned to distinguish between the voice of the Spirit and the voice of your own self? Between the voice of the Spirit and then the voice of other people who would like to control you, to do what they think you should do. Have you learned to discern the Holy Spirit's voice when He is speaking through another person who is selfless? And it was merely passing along what the Spirit has asked them to share with you in the way of either encouragement or corrective counsel.
Oh, that's wonderful to be able to recognize that, and you need to thank God for people who speak into your life words of truth that are healthy, corrective, inspiring, and when you need it, encouraging.
So. We need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. That is what the Holy Spirit is doing in our time and generation. That will depend largely on the condition of the church. If the church is walking in apostasy, the Spirit is not going to be speaking words of blessing.
He's going to be speaking words of correction. But if we're walking in obedience and humility, then. We won't hear many words of correction. He's always correcting us on something, but the Holy Spirit will generally speak encouragement and direction, telling us where to go and when to when to go and how to do something. You know, when Paul wanted to go to Asia, the Spirit forbade him to go.
Later, he had his most successful ministry there. These these churches we're studying were in Asia, and they were founded primarily through the ministry of Paul. As he taught daily in the school of Tereles, a lecture hall probably, in the very large city of Ephesus, the fourth largest city in the ancient world. And then, as people were converted, he discipled them and sent them out on the well-established Roman roads, where they then testified of Christ. Churches were formed, and they grew, and they became the seven churches of Asia, with others as well.
For instance, the church at Colossi. And that, Hierapolis, among others.
So it's vital that we listen to what the Spirit says and not be derailed by, I think, what Oswald Chambers called the spirit of the religious age in which we live. Meaning, just what's going around in the churches.
Sometimes what's going around the churches is of God; it is good. Other times, it's not good.
So we must be able to identify an unbiblical fad and distinguish it from a biblical movement or a biblical message. The sons of Issachar knew the times and knew what Israel ought to do, and they came to help David in his developing kingdom. Do we know the times? Do we know our times? I tell you where we are.
We're in the end of the church age, my friend. We're in the terminal period of this age. How long will it last? I don't know. When will Jesus come and take us away?
I don't know. But I can tell you this is not far off.
So we need to know the times in which we're living and what we ought to do in light of those times.
So Jesus said that to every church. Hear what the Spirit is saying to you, and I will add what He's saying to one church. He may not be saying to another. One church may be in excellent order, but another in disorder, and He may be telling them to get in order, whereas the other church is in the order of God already. He may be just telling them something else about another issue that He wants them to pursue.
Now, next, the third thing which Jesus said, the third great refrain he spoke to all the churches, was this: "To him that overcomes, I will." And then he promised another great blessing, such as I will give to eat of the fruit of the tree of life. I will give a white stone and a new name. I will let him walk with me in white. I was able to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and sat down with my father in his throne, etc., etc. What is he talking about here?
Overcoming.
Well, an overcomer. Is what we're all called to be. The very fact that we use the term overcomer indicates that there are undercomers. What are these two terms?
Now, first of all, they have nothing to do with your salvation. Let's get that clear from the first. Once we are born again, from that point forward, we will either be overcomers or we'll not. An overcomer is one who meets every challenge. And challenger, and rises above them through humble trust and obedience to God.
Every adversity or adversary they encounter that confronts them, that defies them, that tries to destroy their faith or in their work, these overcomers learn to patiently, through faith in God and humble obedience, rise above those adversaries. And adversities, and come out victorious in the end. That is, they have done God's will. They have done God's will, despite the worst that these adversaries and adversarial situations could do. Oh my goodness!
Because God causes all things to work together for good to us, if we continue to love Him. That is, obey Him. And His word, and do His will. Follow His call. Those who are called of God—that is, follow the call of God on your life, despite the adversity that you face.
We have many overcomers in the Bible: Joseph and Daniel. My goodness, what they overcame! Nehemiah—he had everything and everyone against him, but he ended up overcoming, and he finished the will of God. That is. Building the wall to secure Jerusalem, so more could come back, more Jews, and reestablish that capital of God's people.
Now, so these are overcomers; they are victors and champions. The word Nike, which is used for a champion, is the same word that's used here: Nikeo, one who overcomes. Different form of the word, but the same lemma, the same root. One who overcomes. That's who Christ is desiring.
To each church, He says, "I want you to overcome." Now, here's the here's the issue. Born again believers are already overcomers. This is clear from Scripture. First John five verse four says, "Everyone who has been born from above has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world." First John five verse four, and then the next verse he says, "Who is it that overcomes the world?
Only he who believes." That Jesus is the Son of God.
So, by our initial repentance and faith in Jesus, we have become overcomers.
Now, specifically, we've overcame. We have overcome rather Satan's highly organized plan to keep the world in the darkness of unbelief, ignorance of the Word of God, and sin. To keep the light out. Of our minds, the light that God is light, that Christ is the only Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no other way exists to come to the Father but through Him.
Satan's against this truth. He wants to keep it out of people's minds and hearts. He wants to keep their hearts darkened, ignorant, and unbelief and sin.
So, just the fact that you have received the gospel. Means light is now in you. You have overcome the attempt of the rulers of the darkness of this world. This is what Paul calls these demonic forces who are set in array against us becoming Christians. And then once we become a Christian, they're still trying to bring us down.
Rulers of the darkness of this world. Ephesians six twelve.
So we're already an overcomer. Why then would Jesus, who is never redundant or forgetful, say to him that overcomes, "I will this"? He could have said to you, "Overcomers, I challenge you to become overcomers." Now that sounds redundant.
So what did Jesus really mean? Why did he repeat these calls to overcome? He was challenging us each one to fully master self and our sin nature, the things of this world, everything that's against the purpose of God in our heart, in our life, in our work. Fully master them, fully master them. Every Christian is a basic overcomer.
Jesus is calling for us to become master. Overcomers.
Now that is the term that I have coined for this. I'm not claiming that the term is biblical, but I see the concept so clearly here. And if anyone can give me a reasonable explanation as to why Jesus would call those who are already overcomers to be overcomers, please let me know. I'm open to instruction. I hope I'm humble enough to be teachable.
But at the same time, I'm frank enough, I'm honest enough to say there must be something more here. There must be something that the born again Christian is yet to give Christ to be saved. No, not at all. Grace alone saves us, but. In the way of spiritual growth, we could say spiritual formation.
Okay, that's the modern term. Character building was the more antiquated term. You see, your character is what you're building every day. It is the sum of your choices and deeds, and you alone build it. No one can build your character for you.
Christ can't do it. Others can't do it. Your friends, your parents, your pastors—they can't build your character. You are the one who builds it, and you alone. That's why we will stand before Christ to be judged as to our Christian characters, the development, the growth, and to the works we were called to do out of that character.
As Christians, as ministers, as missionaries, as agents of Christ's mercy, as witnesses of His in the world. As disciplers, as evangelists, so this is the issue here: Are we overcoming Satan's attempt to shut down our walk with Christ and our work with Him? If we refuse to do this, then we end up as being undercomers. What is an undercomer? An undercomer is one who is given certain abilities, gifts, and advantages, but.
But, does not fulfill his or her potential. That's an undercomer. An undercomer, oh my goodness, to not fulfill your potential in Christ. Wow, that's terrible. And our experience won't be happy when we stand before Christ, because He bends over backwards to help us become overcomers.
But He cannot do the work for us. It has to come from our hearts. We've got to be willing to be an overcomer. We've got to desire to be an overcomer. This is a part that we and we alone must do.
No one, even Jesus, can do that for us.
So He's calling us here. He's calling you right now. He's calling you. He's calling you by name. He's saying, Bill, Frank, Evelyn, Vanessa, etc., etc.
I want you to become a master overcomer. I want you to, by humble trust and obedience to me and my word, trusting in me humbly and obeying my word and obeying my spirit's guidance. I want you, by doing so, to rise above every obstacle that Satan puts in front of you to stop your life in fruitfulness, but the Father puts in front of you to increase it. Every obstacle I leap over makes me stronger and more agile as a Christian. Every opponent that I defeat makes me a more powerful giant killer in God, ready to slay the demons that would not only stop me but stop the saving process, the maturing process that would flow through me to help others.
You see, friend, when your life goes down. All those who might have been helped with you also go down with you. Do you want that? Yeah, I believe that when we stand before Christ for those who have stubbornly refused to obey Him, Jesus is going to say something to the fact that if you had only obeyed me, that I would have done this for your family. This would have happened through you and your city.
This would have happened. I would have sent you to this nation as a Emissary of mine, and great things would have been done; so many people might have been saved and others discipled, but you refused to go, so that never happened. And we would have to give account of our lives with great sadness and grief. I don't want that. I know you don't either.
So now is the time to listen to Jesus' challenge. To become an overcomer, one who rises above all the situations of life.
So these are the three great refrains that Jesus intentionally gave to the churches of Asia, and through this record to you and I today. Yes, twenty centuries later, he's still speaking these truths to us. He's saying, "Look, friend, I know your works, and they're telling me what's in your heart." And what's in your heart needs correction, and today is the day that I want to bring that correction into your life. And then he's saying to us, "You're not listening for the Spirit; you're just letting human reason rule you and run your life." That must change. He would be saying to you that he has sent the Holy Spirit to guide you in his love, in his faithfulness, in his mercies.
So he wants you to respond appropriately. And then, if you have habitually failed in tests of your faith and patience, or love and or diligence, if you've consistently failed the Lord and grieved His heart and disappointed others, He's saying, "Look, my friend, you have not been an overcomer; you've been an undercomer. You have been one that's not reached His potential, but you can change. If you hear the voice." That is speaking to you today through my voice, friend. That is the voice of Christ.
Listen to him. Understand that there's no situation that can arise in this life that you cannot overcome. There's not one, not one single situation. If Christ puts a situation into your life, you can overcome it. You know.
Listen to what Paul said in Philippians four, verse eleven. Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned, said the apostle, I've learned so it's a process. He went to school in the college of experience. I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content, that is to be satisfied enough with the Lord, so that I'm not anxious. I don't want to be somewhere else or do something else.
I'm content to be with Christ today, living closely to Him, walking closely to Him, and working with Him just where I am. No matter what disadvantages I may have, what opponents may be against me, and what adversity I may be facing, I've learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. That friend is the language of an overcomer. Yeah, Paul went on to say this: I know how to be brought low, and I know how to be abound. He's saying, "Look, you can humiliate me, and I'm going to give thanks to Christ.
I'm going to overcome. And then you can honor me. I can abound, and you can give me wealth, and I'm going to be the same man because I've learned spiritual discipline. I don't change with my fortunes." He went on to say, in any and every circumstance, I've learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. And yes, he said these things, and I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
So he was saying, I can overcome any test, one of humiliation and suffering, or one of success, visible success, notable success, as he had, for instance, in Asia Minor. I can overcome all of these situations. Stay in close contact with Christ and honor Him, friend. Follow His example and take heed to these three repeated refrains of Christ in Revelation two and three. I know your works.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to you and to him that overcomes. I'm going to give blessings. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends, and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donations to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember you may download the "Until He Comes" podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He comes.
This is the Truth Network.
